Electrical self-energized toy



July 3, 1956 G. R. BELLETT ET AL ELECTRICAL SELF-ENERGIZED TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1952 s n M M 4 e oaw a P5 r O c2 n w:

W M0 in w 3/ \M/ 3 .1: V. s 3 u w H 3 h 4 5 3 r 7 m F a 4 32 m M y 3, 1956 s. R. BELLETT ET AL 2,752,730

ELECTRICAL SELF-ENERGIZED' TOY Filed June 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dav/440 C. P027352, 650/265 2. 5LL77 INVENTORS.

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,drroe/vin United States Patent 2,752,730. ELECTRICAL SELF-ENERGIZED TOY Application June 5, 1952, Serial No. 291,860 5 Claims. (Cl. 46-247)v to toy apparatus, and particularly to an electrically operated toy in which the electrienergy is generated by a replaceable element of the toy and utilized by electrical motors of the intermittent type.

Toys having moving elements are well-known. Certain toys having moving elements derive their energy from the motion of the toy, while others, such as the ing-bird, provide the and evaporation. Many electrical toys are operated from the regular home electrical energy, while others are supplied with normal types of batteries. The present invention, however, is one in which acid vegetables, such as lemons, grapefruits, pineapples, ap-

nary lemon, current can be generated for a period of over five days. A grapefruit will operate the device for a longer period. This form of primary battery, when connected with the motor to be described, results in considerable motion of a moving part, which may represent the tail of a dog, for instance. The construction of the motor is such that the current is applied intermittently, thus minimizing polarization of the battery and extending the life of the battery.

The principal object of'the invention, therefore, is to provide a novel source of energy for an electrically energized moving element.

Another object, of the inyentionis to. provide a toy having av replaceable energy source.

A further object of the proved motor construction which. requires a minimum 2,752,730 Patented July 3, 1956 2 in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in cross-section, showing a toy dog embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the motor mechanism taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the mounting of one of the switch elements taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the motor mechanism taken along the line 44' of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are fragmentary views of the same elements showing the operation of the motor mechanism and taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram.

Referring now to posed of a head section 5, a rear section 6, section 7, the latter being, in the present may not be provided in the lemon to permit gases to escape. Normally, the paper of the electrode acts as a wick to release gases and brings the electrolyte up between the electrodes.

wire having of approximately 200- ohms. two flat right angle metal contact sections 19 and 20, be-

It is connected by a conductor 27 to one end of the coil 16. The other end of the coil is connected by a conductor 28 to a terminal 30, which is a pin through Wall and make contact therewith. Thus, the circuit, as shown in Fig. 8, is from one section 20, over conductact, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7.

The moving element of the motor is in the form of a magnetized fiat steel element 32, which forms a magnet with north and south poles. To simulate a dogs tail, the upper end of the magnet 32 may be curved and flocking 33 applied to the upper portion thereof. The magnet 32 is mounted on a pointed bearing pin 34, one end of the pin being mounted in a tapered recess in a screw 35, the other end being mounted in a tapered recess in a pin 36 pressed into the wall 14. Mounted on the pin 36 and separated from the wall 14 by a washer 37, is an actuating member 39 having a lower yoke portion 40 and a flat topped right angle extension member 41 at the upper end thereof. A pin 43 fastened to the magnet 32 has its end positioned between the legs of the yoke 40.

The operation of the unit above described is such that the swinging of the magnet 32 makes and breaks the contact between 23 and 25 to intermittently energize the coil 16, which intermittently attracts and repels the lower end of the magnet. Referring to Figs. 2, 5, 6, and 7, when the lower or north end of the magnet 32 is moved toward the north end of the coil 16, the contact between elements 23 and 25 is made and the battery is connected to the coil. Thus, the north end of the coil repels the north end of the magnet 32, and the south end of the coil simultaneously attracts the north end of the magnet.

Thus, as the lower end of the magnet is electrically driven to the left in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the pin 43 contacting one leg of the yoke 40 as shown in Fig. 5, the element 39 rotates, bringing the extension 41 under the leaf spring element 23, raising it to break its contact with pin 25, as shown in Fig. 6. The battery is then disconnected from the coil 16 and the magnet 32 will now start to swing by gravity in the reverse direction. The swing of the magnet 32 is free during the time the pin 43 travels between the legs of the yoke 40, as shown in Fig. 6. The kinetic energy thus generated by this swing is suificient to rotate the element 39 and remove the extension 41 from under the leaf 23 and allow it to make contact with the pin 25, which will re-energize the coil 16. The greater energy required to lift the spring leaf 23 is derived on the power swing of the magnet. The smaller energy required to lower the leaf is obtained by the element 39 as just described. In this manner, the magnet 32 continues to oscillate, simulating the appearance of a dog wagging its tail.

The above described motor mechanism has several important features. First, it intermittently connects the battery to the coil, thus producing the minimum of polarization in the battery to lengthen its life. Also, to insure constant operation with the small amount of energy generated, the novel type of make and break mechanism is used. It will be noted that to provide the minimum of contact resistance, the pin 22, on which the leaf switch element 23 pivots, is made of gold, and the leaf spring 23 is made of silver. Also, the contact pin 25 is gold. These elements are very small and provide extremely low resistance points of contact, although it is to be understood that other types of elements may be used. The head and tail sections and 6 of the dog may be made of plastic, wood, or any other suitable material, while the lemon may also be used to form figures of other animals or other types of toy figures, human as well as animal.

We claim:

1. A motor mechanism comprising a fixed contact member, a movable contact member adapted to make intermittent contact with said fixed contact member, a source of energy connected to said contact members, a horizontally disposed electromagnet connectable to said energy source through said contact members to polarize the ends of said electromagnet, a pivoted permanent magnet having one polarized end thereof movable between the ends of said electromagnet, and a pivoted member adapted to be contacted and oscillated by said permanent magnet for actuating said movable contact member to break contact between said contact members when said permanent magnet is moved in one direction upon energization of said electromagnet and to make contact between said contact members by the momentum of the movement of said permanent magnet in the opposite direction, said energy source being a primary battery formed by electrodes within a fruit acid in a fruit, said fruit forming a fixed portion of the body of a toy figure and said permanent magnet forming a visible movable portion of said figure.

2. An oscillating electrical mechanism adapted to be operated from a small amount of electrical energy comprising a pivoted permanent magnet, a horizontally disposed electromagnet, one end of said permanent magnet being adapted to oscillate between the ends of said electromagnet, a member pivoted on an axis coincident with the pivot axis of said permanent magnet and actuated by oscillation of said permanent magnet, a pair of contact members, one of which is moved into and out of contact with the other contact member by the oscillation of said member, and a source of electrical energy connectable to said electromagnet through said contact members when one end of said permanent magnet is adjacent a certain end of said electromagnet, said source of electrical energy being a fruit acid within a fruit having electrodes therein, said fruit forming a portion of the body of a toy figure and said permanent magnet actuating another visible portion of said figure.

3. An oscillating electrical current actuated mechanism comprising an elongated permanent magnet pivoted for oscillation near the center thereof, a horizontally disposed electromagnet adjacent one end of said permanent magnet, said one end of said permanent magnet being adapted to swing along the length of said electromagnet, a source of electrical current for energizing said electromagnet to urge said end of said permanent magnet in one direction between the ends of said electromagnet, and means for disconnecting said source of current from said electromagnet after said one end of said permanent magnet has traveled a predetermined distance in said one certain direction along said electromagnet, said means connecting said source of current to said electromagnet after said one end of said permanent magnet has moved a predetermined distance in the opposite direction along said electromagnet.

4. An oscillating electrical current actuated mechanism in accordance with claim 3, in which said last mentioned means is a yoked member contacted and oscillated by said permanent magnet and a pair of contact members, one of which is intermittently contacted by said member to break and make said contact members to disconnect and connect, respectively, said source of current to and from said electromagnet.

5. An oscillating electrical current actuated mechanism in accordance with claim 3, in which said source of current is a-. fruit acid within a fruit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

